Alex Smith also not all that into Dolphins

More bad news?

How about this: Multiple sources tell me that the only way Alex Smith is going to sign with the Dolphins is if Peyton Manning goes to San Francisco.

That's right, even the jilted 49'ers quarterback would prefer to return to the team that jilted him over the Dolphins organization that on Sunday tried to recruit him to Miami. Smith's camp has made this clear to the Dolphins.

I suppose that is one reason they are today scheduled to host former Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard -- a quarterback that obviously does not rise to "franchise quarterback" status but is, well, a body.

I posted previously that the Dolphins should be wise in handling Smith because, frankly, he has been a good-not-great player in seven previous seasons. So the Dolphins must resist the temptation to go overboard on this guy because making a splash for the sake of public relations may soothe feelings short-term but is a long-term road to unemployment.

And there is definitely pressure on the Dolphins, particularly general manager Jeff Ireland, to give a public relations answer to what is a business approach. Peter King of Sports Illustrated wrote in his Monday Morning quarterback column that Ireland needs to do something out of desperation.

These are King's words:

"In the history of NFL general managers, Ireland is on the coldest streak ever. He needs to do something right. He doesn't even need to hit a home run. A seeing-eye single would do. That may make him more aggressive on Smith today -- and it may make Smith more inclined to go somewhere I don't think he really wants to go.

"Miami looks like the worst team in the AFC East right now. Would Smith rather rub it in 49er GM Trent Baalke's face and run off to a bad team, and would he rather pray for Manning to pick Tennessee or Denver and go back to where he's got the best chance by far of making a Super Bowl run? Ireland may have to do what he loathes -- overspend for an OK player -- just to deodorize the stink of the last few years in Miami."

So the pressure is on Ireland to pay, probably more than Smith is worth. Of course, if Peyton Manning decides to play in Denver or Tennessee, it is now clear he won't get that chance. Because Alex Smith doesn't want to play here that much.